Improvement in vent-stoppers for ordnance



R. L. mfiwu VENT-STOPIERS FOR ORDNANCE. No.173,339. Patented,Feb,8,1876.

' thereof.

ROBERT L. PRUYN, OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF HISRIGHT TO SAMUEL M. HARE, OF SAMEPLAGE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VENT=STOPPERS FOR ORDNANCE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. ll 913,339, datedFebruary 8, 1876; application filed January 8, i576.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT L.. PRUYN, ofBaton Rouge, in the parish of East Baton Rouge and State of Louisiana,have invented a new and valuable Improvement in the Main ner of ClosingGun-Vents; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,and exact description of the construction and open ation of the same,reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of thisspecification, and to the letters and figures of reference markedthereon.

Figure 1 of the drawings is arepresentation of a longitudinal verticalsection of my gunvent closer closed, and Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame open.

This invention relates to ordnance; and it consists in the constructionand general arangeinent of a device for closing the vent of a cannonwhile the same is being swabbed out, as will be hereinafter set forth. I

In the annexed drawings, A designates part of a cannon or other piece ofordnance with the vent a. On the side of the cannon A is secured a case,B, within which is a spring, 0, fastened at or near the lower end of thecase, and extended upward to the open end In this end of the case B ispivoted an arm, I), the inner end of which is formed eccentric to thepivot, as shown. \Vhen this arm D is thrown back, as shown in Fig. 2,the spring 0 does notpress with any force thereon; but when the arm D isthrown forward, as in Fig. 1, spring 0 acts on the eccentric end andholds the pad g, which is attached to said arm firmly and closely overthe vent. On the under side of the arm D are formed beveled flanges b12, forming a box, in which is inserted a slide, E, of leather or othersuitable material, and on the under side of this slide is attached thepad y, and the' slide is fastened by a screw, cl. The tension of thespring 0 may be regulated by a temper-screw.

The advantage of this invention is readily understood when the fact isconsidered that the ordinary method of stopping the vent is by a man-histhumb thereon-and he will naturally flinch and lift the thumb whenburned,

and, as a consequence, when the cannon is being loaded again, accidentsof serious nature often occur.

With my invention this is entirely overcome and the vent will beperfectly closed.

By removing the screwd the slide E can be taken out and a screw-padfastened thereon, or an entirely new slide and pad inserted.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a cannon; or other piece of ordnance, of a caseor frame, B, a spring, 0, inclosed therein, a pivoted arm, D, having aneccentric inner end, and a pad, y, fastened to the arm, substantially asand for the purposes herein set forth.

2. In a device for closing gun-vents, the removable slide E, of leatheror other suitable material, and the pad y secured thereto, for thepurposes set forth.

In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my namein the presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT L. PRUYN.

